Who, what, where and why? the quiz of 2008

From the Beijing goldrush, to Chelsea's retreat from Moscow and Murray's march on New York it has been a vintage year. But how much can you recall?

History makers

1 Who became the first Briton to win the world title since Reg Harris in 1954?

2 Who became the most expensive footballer in the world, on the basis of his accumulated transfer fees?

3 What feat did Mark Ramprakash achieve that had last been performed by Graeme Hick 10 years earlier?

4 Who set a world record in 57 days, 13 hours and 34 minutes?

5 What feat did Theo Walcott perform that had last been achieved by Michael Owen in 2001?

6 Who triumphed at Wembley to become only the second team in the competition's 111-year history to win the trophy three years in a row?

7 How did Sebastian Vettel replace Fernando Alonso in the Formula One record books?

8 Which Londoners made their worst start ever to a top-flight season?

9 Ryan Sidebottom joined Matthew Hoggard, Darren Gough and Dominic Cork as the only England bowlers to perform what feat in the last 50 years?

10 And how did Sidebottom match record-breaking performances by Ian Botham and Derek Underwood?

A woman's world

1 To whom did Marat Safin send a note saying: "I'm sorry I couldn't come to the Ball but good luck for tomorrow"?

2 Who earned a place in the record books alongside Paulo Radmilovic, a winner of swimming and water polo Olympic medals between 1908 and 1920?

3 Who became the first British woman to break into the world's top 100 this century?

4 Which Swede retired after a 15-year career that brought her $22m in prize-money and 72 tournament victories?

5 Who won bronze but had to console her fiancé after he failed to win a medal?

6 Who was denied the chance of a fourth victory on the streets of London by a toe injury?

7 Who was sentenced to six months in prison for lying about performance-enhancing drugs?

8 Which Briton completed a two-wheel double in Beijing and the Italian town of Varese?

9 Which world No 1 retired at the age of 25 less than a fortnight before her favourite tournament of the year?

10 How did Toytown prevent a princess's daughter from realising her dream?

The beautiful game

1 Name the next club in this sequence: Paris St-Germain, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain, Manchester City, Fenerbahce, Bolton.

2 Which football pitch was described thus by the groundsman: "We've done what we can do and it is getting better every day, but unfortunately the final is too soon for us. There are dead patches and it looks like dozens of cricket batting strips in a nice outfield"?

3 Which visitors led twice on Merseyside, despite a gap of 123 places with their hosts?

4 Why was the Old Firm match in January postponed?

5 What fate did Cristiano Ronaldo, John Terry and Nicolas Anelka share in Moscow?

6 Who used the "F-word" more than 40 times in six minutes during a press conference?

7 Which assistant manager moved across the city after compensation of around £1m was agreed?

8 Who left the bench at Elland Road for the boardroom at St James' Park?

9 Who came back from 1-0 down to win in injury time on Wednesday, from 2-0 down with 16 minutes remaining to win on Sunday, and from 1-0 down in the last minute of injury time to win on the following Friday?

10 Whose 86-match unbeaten home run was ended in October by visitors from Merseyside?

The retiring sort – who quit in 2008?

1 In 151 Premier League starts he scored 91 goals, but he will be remembered above all for a late winning goal scored in European competition in 1999.

2 This prolific producer of champions stood down at the age of 27 to the following tribute from his manager: "Despite his advancing years, he is still in remarkably good condition and I hope he enjoys a happy retirement."

3 This 37-year-old Scot retired after his 456th and final race ended on the first lap in Brazil.

4 This all-rounder from Essex finished fourth at the Sydney and Athens Olympics and won the Commonwealth Games title in 2006 but was dogged by injuries.

5 He put down his microphone after nine European Championships, nine World Cups and 34 FA Cup finals.

6 He played for one club throughout his 18-year career, made his England debut in 1995 and went on to win 85 caps, the last of them in Paris in 2007.

7 At 33 he quit as national team captain after winning 26 times in his 51 matches in charge following his appointment in 2003.

8 This Brazilian, a former world No 1, enjoyed his finest moments in Paris, where he won three times.

9 He was born in Harare but went on to play 65 times for England and spent 24 years with one county.

10 He captained France, winning 98 caps, but spent his latter years playing in England.

Who said it?

1 "I have really loved taking my kids to the games but I am now a dad who can't take his kids to a football game on a Saturday because I am advised that we would be assaulted... I am putting the club up for sale. I hope that the fans get what they want and that the next owner is someone who can lavish the amount of money the fans want."

2 "Throughout my career I have been among the best at overcoming challenges on the golf course. Now I want to be the best confronting the hardest challenge of my life, with all my strength."

3 "I'm sober and I've not had a drink for 10 months – since 27 December. I've had problems with alcohol in the past and the thing I went to jail for was alcohol-related. It was my own stupidity. Things will be levelled at me that I had a fight with Ousmane when I was sober. I understand that. If I drink again I'm putting my career in jeopardy."

4 "I knew I had to go out fast and be ahead and try to work off that lead. After the first 400 I thought: 'Gosh, I'm only halfway through, I've got another one of them to go.' I just said to myself: 'Put your head down and go.' When I got to 500 or 600 I started to think: 'Oh my gosh, it's not over yet.' It just hit me how fast I had gone out there. I was tired but I just had to keep with it."

5 "It was a shock to me and I think for the team it's also very disappointing. It's a shame that he decided it was best for him not to come here. It kind of affects the way I feel about him. It's disappointing that he chose not to come. I think from what I've heard he hasn't actually said that he was injured. It was more of a preventative thing. If he really wanted to push himself he really could have come here to play the tie."

6 "John didn't say anything. He was very sad, he cried. Whenever we needed him as a captain this season he took responsibility. He slipped, it happens. He is still a great captain, a great player and the reason they didn't create many chances. One penalty can make the difference between happiness."

7 "I set myself a goal. There was one thing missing from my record. I wanted to come to America and fight. Not just to fight, but to take on a champion. I'm proud of my achievements but it's not for me to put myself top of any list."

8 "My desire to play cricket is as strong as ever. But, due to the problems I have experienced, travelling abroad has become extremely stressful for me. I no longer want to put myself through the questions and demands that go with trying to return to the England team."

9 "Given the history of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, particularly before and during the Second World War, I fully understand why they would wish to strongly distance themselves from what they rightly describe as the disgraceful content of these publications. Unfortunately, they did not contact me to ask whether the content was in fact true."

10 "The tackle was horrendous and unforgivable. When these tackles happen they always say that he is not that sort of player. But you only have to kill someone once and you have a dead person."

Trouble and strife

1 Who was condemned as "stupid" for failing to stop at a red light?

2 Which Spaniard was denied the chance to defend his crown because his team were considered unsuitable following a series of drugs scandals?

3 Which former champion was criticised for walking off the course little more than halfway through the first day of four?

4 Who was selected to start for his national team for the first time but was then dropped after being photographed outside a London nightclub after midnight two days before the match?

5 How did events in Africa cause Steven Spielberg to fall out with Beijing?

6 Who was the target of racist abuse by spectators who wore wigs and blackened their faces in Barcelona?

7 To whom was Mr Justice Mackay referring when he said in the High Court: "Many people both inside and outside sport would see this bylaw as unlawful. In my judgement it would take a much better case than the claimant has presented to persuade me to overturn the status quo at this stage and compel his selection for the Games."

8 Why did the Ipswich footballer David Norris get into trouble by celebrating a goal by pretending he was wearing handcuffs?

9 What blunder did Stuart Attwell and Nigel Bannister commit at Watford?

10 Which Olympic sprint champion lost his appeal against a four-year drugs ban imposed in 2006?

The global game

1 What tennis record was set at 4.34am at the Australian Open in Melbourne?

2 Which 12-man international team did not feature a Scot for the first time since 1937?

3 Which national team decided to undergo a Kidney transplant?

4 Whose record-breaking unbeaten run of 18 matches was ended by a team of giants in Arizona in February?

5 Which Spaniard needed only an hour and 48 minutes to beat a Swiss in Paris but four hours and 48 minutes to beat him in London?

6 Who became the first black man to coach his country's world champion national team?

7 Which national football coach proposed to his girlfriend within moments of his team going out of the European Championship?

8 How did an Irishman end a 78-year European wait in Detroit?

9 Who ended Australia's attempt to create a record of 17 consecutive victories?

10 In what sport were Australia denied a seventh successive World Cup triumph when they lost in Brisbane?

Golden touch: Name the sport and the event in which these Britons won Olympic gold in Beijing:

1 Jamie Staff.

2 Tim Brabants.

3 Tom James.

4 Pippa Wilson.

5 Mark Hunter.

6 Ed Clancy.

7 Paul Goodison.

8 James DeGale.

9 Iain Percy.

10 Jason Kenny.

On the podium: Name the sports in which the following Britons won Olympic silver or bronze:

1 David Florence.

2 Jo Jackson.

3 Emma Pooley.

4 Louis Smith.

5 Joe Glanfield.

6 Keri-Anne Payne.

7 David Price.

8 Heather Fell.

9 Sharon Hunt.

10 Ross Edgar.

Fifteen minutes of fame: How did the following earn their brief spell under the spotlight?

1 Darren Pattinson.

2 Brian Howard and Kayode Odejayo.

3 Kirk Shepherd.

4 Chris Eaton.

5 Justin Hicks and Kevin Streelman.

Quiz compiled by Paul Newman.